Saxophone B-flat: Compare Bis and Side in Two Short Patterns

You can play the same written B♭ with two different key combinations on your saxophone. The useful question is which combination helps you arrive from the previous note and leave for the next one. Start with two small cells: A–B♭–C and B–B♭–B. Their middle pitch stays B♭, but their neighboring notes ask for different movements.

This lesson is for alto or baritone students who already play written A4, B4 and C5. Have your teacher identify the bis and side-B♭ controls on your instrument before trying them. We will use bis for the supplied A–B♭–C practice cell and side for B–B♭–B, then check those choices together. These are starting routes your teacher can revise.

1. One written pitch, two key combinations

Bis and side are fingering names, not two kinds of B♭. Written B♭4 uses the middle line of the treble staff. In these examples, a flat before the note lowers B4 by a half step; a key signature or an earlier accidental can supply that change in other music. Changing the combination does not move the notehead or ask for another octave. Read the pitch first; choose the mechanism second.

The Dawkes lesson by Alastair Penman presents bis and side as two main B♭ fingerings and highlights side for movement between B♭ and B. Rulon Brown’s Key Leaves lesson likewise addresses when to choose among B♭ fingerings. Here we narrow that question to two neighboring-note patterns you can test.

Two written B♭4 whole notes, labeled bis and side: the pitch and four-beat duration stay the same.

Read both notes aloud as “written B-flat four.” The first label says bis; the second says side. If you change the name to B-natural when you see side, pause and separate the two decisions again. The label changes the planned controls; the flat still determines the note.

The printable One B-flat, Two Fingerings keeps the two combinations beside the same written pitch. Use it as your desk reference while your teacher demonstrates each one. You do not need to memorize a complete fingering chart for this comparison.

2. Find bis and side on your own saxophone

In the diagrams, LH1 means the left index finger’s main B key; LH2 means the left middle finger’s main A key. Bis is a separate small control near those keys. Side-B♭ is normally the lowest of the three right-hand side keys and is operated with the side of the right index finger. Ask your teacher to identify it and demonstrate comfortable contact on your saxophone. Sage Music’s chromatic-scale lesson identifies this control in step 14. The diagram separates the hands into columns and shows only the controls this lesson needs.

Control-location schematic, top toward the neck: LH1, bis and LH2 form the left-hand stack; side-B♭ is in the right-hand column. All circles are open; the map is not to scale.

Ask your teacher to point to each named control while you point to its label. Establish which direction is toward the neck and which side the right hand approaches. A screen schematic cannot establish comfortable contact on your particular instrument. Key shapes and the way your index finger contacts bis need that real-instrument check.

For the supplied bis combination, press LH1 and bis together; LH2 is released. Your teacher can demonstrate how the left index contacts both controls without an awkward reach. For the supplied side combination, use your familiar A fingering, LH1 plus LH2, and add side-B♭ with the right hand.

Filled circles mean pressed; open circles mean released. Bis uses LH1 plus bis; side uses LH1, LH2 and side-B♭. Both produce written B♭4 with the octave key off.

Filled circles mean pressed controls; open circles mean released controls. These sets list what you operate, rather than every pad moved through the saxophone’s linked mechanism. Keep the octave key off throughout this lesson. For these supplied combinations, leave all unshown keys released and the octave key off. Keep your other fingers in the resting position your teacher demonstrates; resting near a key does not mean pressing it.

Yamaha’s fingering guide supplies a broader reference and identifies alternate combinations. Use that reference with your teacher if your instrument looks different. The Yamaha owner’s manual fingering chart, printed page 10, also provides a reference for these written notes. First point and name, then form each combination silently, and only then sound the note. Do not change a screw, bend a key or press harder to make a drawing fit.

3. Read the four notes without an octave-key change

Our small written range is A4, B♭4, B4 and C5. A4 occupies the space below the middle line, B4 the middle line, and C5 the space above it. B♭4 uses B4’s line with a flat. The number changes from 4 to 5 at C; it does not tell you to press the octave key here.

A4–B♭4–B♮4–C5 in quarter notes. The natural on beat 3 cancels the flat; B♭ and B share the middle line.

Open Music Theory’s notation lesson explains how the clef assigns pitches to staff positions and how accidentals modify them. Trace each notehead before looking at the labels. Then cover the labels and name the four notes again. You should recognize B♭ and B as different pitches sharing one staff position.

B♭–B is a half step; B♭–C is a whole step. If those distances are uncertain, Half steps & whole steps shows half and whole steps on the keyboard, including B♭–C. Count the pitch distance separately from the number of keys you press. Three pressed controls do not mean a larger musical interval than two pressed controls.

A flat normally continues for later notes at the same staff position within that measure. A natural cancels it. In B–B♭–B within one bar, the returning B therefore needs a natural sign. The University of Puget Sound’s accidentals lesson explains that cancellation; our Accidentals on the staff exercise gives reading checks across barlines.

B4–B♭4–B♮4–rest, then B♭4–B♮4–B♭4–rest. Naturals cancel flats; a later flat restores B♭ within the bar.

Say the complete sequence, including “natural,” before fingering it. The next bar begins a new accidental context in these examples, which have no key-signature flats. When a later flat restores B♭ within the bar, read it again. A correct side-key movement cannot fix a missed accidental.

All pitch names here are written names. Alto and baritone are transposing instruments; Yamaha’s transposition guide explains the difference between written and actual pitch. The companion sheets’ piano reference audio represents the written notes, so it is written-pitch study audio, not a concert-pitch saxophone play-along. Ask your teacher to supply the matching saxophone sound; Written and concert pitch is a separate follow-up.

4. Compare bis in A–B♭–C

Begin with the familiar A combination: LH1 and LH2. For our supplied bis B♭, keep LH1, release LH2 and engage bis. For C5, release LH1 and bis and press LH2. Before sounding the cell, point out both boundaries: A into B♭, then B♭ into C. The second boundary matters just as much as the first.

Bis keeps this B♭ in the left hand, but moving from bis B♭ to C requires LH1 and bis to release as LH2 presses. Side B♭ keeps LH2 down for C but involves the right hand. Teachers weigh these movements differently: Chris Anderson recommends side for this scalar pattern. We begin with bis to learn its movement, then compare side on the identical notes.

A4–B♭4–C5–rest, then C5–B♭4–A4–rest. Use bis for this practice cell; all notes and rests last one beat.

Play three quarter notes, then leave beat 4 silent. The second bar reverses the pitch order: C–B♭–A. Use the same bis combination for its B♭. Let the printed rest remain a full beat instead of rushing immediately into another attempt. That gives you a clear place to reset and discuss what happened.

Now isolate the two ascending joins. In the first bar below, play only A–B♭. In the second, begin directly on B♭ and move to C. Establish each starting combination before playing; the rest gives preparation time. You are checking whether each join works, rather than relying on momentum through the whole cell.

A4–B♭4, then B♭4–C5, with a half rest after each pair. The strips show which controls stay, release and press; they do not rank comfort.

Your teacher can then have you try side on that same A–B♭–C cell for comparison. With side, A into B♭ adds the side control while LH1 and LH2 stay pressed. Leaving side B♭ for C releases LH1 and side-B♭ while LH2 stays pressed. Keep the rhythm and pitch sequence identical so you compare the routes fairly.

Do not declare a winner by counting controls. A count describes the supplied key sets, but it cannot tell you how comfortably your hand moves or how cleanly the changes coincide. Return to One B-flat, Two Fingerings, mark the teacher-confirmed choice, and describe which join needed attention. “B♭ into C broke” is more useful than “bis is hard.”

5. Compare side in B–B♭–B

Start on your familiar B4: LH1 pressed, with LH2, bis and side-B♭ released. For side B♭, keep LH1 and add LH2 together with side-B♭. To return to B4, release those two added controls while keeping LH1. The middle note still reads B♭4; the last note reads B♮4.

Side avoids changing the left index finger’s contact between B and bis; it instead requires LH2 and the right-hand side control to move together.

B4–B♭4–B♮4–rest twice, using side for each B♭. The returning B carries a natural sign.

This cell makes the right hand’s participation clear. The movement needs the left middle finger and the right-hand side control to arrive together for B♭ and leave together for B. Ask your teacher to watch that coordination. A stray intermediate sound is a reason to examine the join, without changing the intended three-note sequence.

Read the natural sign aloud once more before playing. If you repeat B♭ on beat 3, determine whether you misread the natural or failed to release the planned controls. Those two errors can sound similar to a beginner but need different practice. Use Accidentals on the staff if the printed change remains uncertain.

B4–B♭4, then B♭4–B♮4, with a half rest after each pair. The strips show LH2 and side-B♭ moving together while LH1 stays pressed.

Separate B into B♭ from B♭ into B. Start each pair afresh, with two beats of rest afterward. When the pair is clear, return to the full three-note cell. Keep whatever articulation your teacher has chosen consistent during the comparison; introducing a new tonguing task can obscure what you are checking in the fingers.

Once your teacher has checked both combinations, play B–B♭–B once with side and once with bis, using the same comfortable pulse, articulation and starting B. Keep the rest between attempts. For each route, record whether the entry and exit were clear or needed another check. Do the same comparison on A–B♭–C. Keep bis for Cell A and side for Cell B when answering the companion exercise; record any different teacher-approved playing choice separately.

Begin with bis in Cell A and side in Cell B, then compare both fingerings on the same notes before confirming a playing choice.

On paper, make four lines: A–B♭–C with bis; A–B♭–C with side; B–B♭–B with side; B–B♭–B with bis. Beside each, leave spaces for “entry” and “exit.” After playing, write “clear” or “check again” in each space. Compare the two routes for the same notes before deciding which movement needs another attempt.

6. Mark the choice before each cell

Write a small “bis” or “side” above the relevant B♭ before you play. Leave the notehead and accidental untouched. First identify the written pitch, then look one note backward and one note forward. In our paired study, the first B♭ sits between A and C; the second sits between B and B.

A completed plan: bis above B♭ in A–B♭–C, side above B♭ in B–B♭–B. Each bar ends with a quarter rest.

Use Plan the B-flat Before You Play to separate three tasks: identify key-diagram combinations, annotate routes under the supplied practice policy, and repair incomplete key sets. Cover its upside-down key before answering. For the written answers, use bis for Cell A and side for Cell B. Record any different playing choice beside your teacher’s note.

Try the new pair below without playing first. The first bar is B♭–B–B♭; the second returns to A–B♭–C. Name all six notes and both rests. In bar 1, a B-natural separates two B-flats. In bar 2, B-flat lies between A and C. For this extra B♭–B–B♭ check, use side for both B♭s so the left index remains on LH1 while LH2 and side-B♭ release and return together. Use bis for the B♭ in bar 2. Check the accidentals before checking your annotations. Cover the note-name labels and the caption while you read; uncover them afterward to check.

B♭4–B♮4–B♭4–rest, then A4–B♭4–C5–rest. For this extra check, use side in bar 1 to release and return LH2 plus side-B♭ together, and bis in bar 2.

Compare each incomplete set with the complete diagrams in section 2. One control is missing from X and one from Y. Name each missing control before reading the answers below.

Two incomplete sets: X is intended as bis B♭, Y as side B♭. Which control must be added to each?

The repairs are LH1 for X and LH2 for Y.

Read the pitches, mark a route, keep the rhythm, then review the entry and exit around B♭.

The companion exercise’s audio checks pitch and rhythm. Listening cannot reveal which fingering produced a B♭, and neutral piano playback cannot demonstrate the physical saxophone movement.

7. Check the transitions with your teacher

Bring one marked cell and a specific observation to the next lesson. Play it at a pace where you can prepare the keys without rushing. There is no speed target here. Ask the teacher to confirm the keys, check the bis contact and side reach, and watch the entry and exit around B♭ while listening for unintended sounds or breaks.

Descending C5–B♭4–A4 with bis, then B4–B♭4–B♮4 with side. Three quarter notes and a quarter rest fill each bar; check the entry and exit around each B♭.

Use the descending C–B♭–A bar to check the supplied bis route in reverse. Use the following B–B♭–B bar to check side. Keep the quarter rests and the same note lengths. If one transition fails, return to its two-note boundary. Repeating an entire line can hide the precise moment you need the teacher to inspect.

Before each bar, name its first note and prepare that combination. The descending C–B♭–A bar begins on C5 with LH2 alone; the B–B♭–B bar begins on B4 with LH1 alone. Begin with bis and side-B♭ released. During the printed rests, release and reset as on the companion sheets.

Record one short result: “clear both ways,” “extra sound entering B♭,” “gap leaving B♭,” or “teacher retry.”

Check pitch, steady notes and rests, complete control sets and comfortable contact separately. Ask the teacher to check contact if it feels awkward.

Finish by explaining your choices without the diagram: same written B♭, two combinations, two supplied contexts. Then play the selected cells once more with the teacher-confirmed routes. Keep that annotation for your next attempt and revisit it when the surrounding notes change. A successful explanation and a clear transition are more useful here than a higher metronome number.

A Tissimo teacher can check these two joins in a live lesson and help you choose a comfortable route on your own saxophone. Bring the marked two-fingering handout and your choice-check answers when you book a lesson.

Free worksheets for this lesson

• One B-flat, Two Fingerings — compare the controls and practice the two supplied cells.
• Plan the B-flat Before You Play — identify diagrams, annotate routes and repair omissions.
• Accidentals on the staff — read flats, naturals and their effect within a bar.
• Half steps & whole steps — tell a half step from a whole step, with B♭–C as a worked whole step.
• Written and concert pitch — separate written note names from sounding pitch.

Sources

• Alternate Fingerings: Utilizing Situational Rules — Chris Anderson, DANSR
• How to Play the Chromatic Scale on the Saxophone — Sage Music
• Saxophone Owner’s Manual, fingering chart p. 10 — Yamaha
• Saxophone Fingerings: Ultimate Guide — Alastair Penman, Dawkes
• Which Saxophone B Flat Fingering Is Best? — Rulon Brown, Key Leaves
• Saxophone fingering — Yamaha
• The saxophone is a transposing instrument — Yamaha
• Basic notation — Open Music Theory
• Accidentals — University of Puget Sound